“Whose hair is this in the reading center?” “Did you give yourself that haircut at home (please, please don’t say it was at school)?” It happens to the BEST of us, the new teacher, as well as, a veteran teacher! It happens to the busiest kids and the most well-behaved (but inquisitive) students. I have spent many moments in my kindergarten classroom matching up hair shade to a child, as I conduct an investigation to who is missing a chunk of hair. Boy, do I dread that phone call and sending that bag of hair home. We all need to take a moment to teach that first week of kindergarten lesson on cutting with scissors and have them practice with a lot of direct instruction.
A quick lesson on scissor safety and rules is a must before they get to try out their new school supply. We do this lesson BEFORE we ever discuss the correct way to hold a pair of scissors. Like most, it is not a one and done lesson. We all know the kids that need this the most are probably not fully engaged the first go round. You will find me teaching and reteaching this same lesson throughout the year.
I did create a set of print and go cards that can be used to teach scissor safety and procedures. Included are sorting cards for whole group lessons (you can use these in a variety of ways). The cards are perfect to use in a simple display for an anchor chart. You will also find a variety of pages of differentiated cutting practice for improving fine motor skills. These worksheet pages can be used throughout the year for morning work or center activities. You will be able to use every page of this set! Don’t forget the first week of kindergarten lesson on cutting with scissors…you will thank me later!
Click here to view this invaluable lesson!
